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own

[ohn]

–adjective

1.	of, pertaining to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive): He spent only his own money.

2.	(used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, prec. by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor.

–verb (used with object)

3.	to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes.

4.	to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault.

5.	to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord.

–verb (used without object)

6.	to confess (often fol. by to, up, or up to): The one who did it had better own up. I own to being uncertain about that.

—Idioms

come into one's own,

a.	to take possession of that which is due or owed one.

b.	to receive the recognition that one's abilities merit: She finally came into her own as a sculptor of the first magnitude.

8.	get one's own back, to get revenge and thereby a sense of personal satisfaction, as for a slight or a previous setback; get even with somebody or something: He saw the award as a way of getting his own back for all the snubs by his colleagues.

hold one's own,

a.	to maintain one's position or condition: The stock market seems to be holding its own these days.

b.	to be equal to the opposition: He can hold his own in any fight.

10.	of one's own, belonging to oneself: She had never had a room of her own.

11.

on one's own,

a.	by dint of one's own efforts, resources, or sense of responsibility; independently: Because she spoke the language, she got around the country very well on her own.

b.	living or functioning without dependence on others; independent: My son's been on his own for several years.

Origin:
bef. 900; (adj.) ME owen, OE āgen (c. G eigen, ON eigenn), orig. ptp. of āgan to possess (see owe ); (v.) ME ownen, OE āgnian, āhnian, deriv. of āgen

Synonyms:
3. See have.

Antonyms:
3. lack, need.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To own

own (ōn)

adj.  Of or belonging to oneself or itself: She makes her own clothes.
n.  That which belongs to one: I wanted a room of my own.
v.   owned, own·ing, owns

v.   tr.

1. To have or possess as property: owns a chain of restaurants.
2. To have control over: For a time, enemy planes owned the skies.
To admit as being in accordance with fact, truth, or a claim; acknowledge.

v. intr.
To make a full confession or acknowledgment: When confronted with the evidence the thief owned up. See Synonyms at acknowledge.

[Middle English owen, from Old English āgen; see aik- in Indo-European roots.]
own'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Own

Own\ ([=o]n), v. t. [OE. unnen to grant, permit, be pleased with, AS. unnan to grant; akin to OS. giunnan, G. g["o]nnen, Icel. unna; of uncertain origin. This word has been confused with own to possess.] To grant; to acknowledge; to admit to be true; to confess; to recognize in a particular character; as, we own that we have forfeited your love.

The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his hide; But his sagacious eye an inmate owns. --Keats.

Own

Own\, a. [OE. owen, awen, auen, aughen, AS. [=a]gen, p. p. of [=a]gan to possess; akin to OS. [=e]gan, G. & D. eigen, Icel. eiginn, Sw. & Dan. egen. [root]110. See Owe.] Belonging to; belonging exclusively or especially to; peculiar; -- most frequently following a possessive pronoun, as my, our, thy, your, his, her, its, their, in order to emphasize or intensify the idea of property, peculiar interest, or exclusive ownership; as, my own father; my own composition; my own idea; at my own price. "No man was his own [i. e., no man was master of himself, or in possession of his senses]." --Shak.

To hold one's own, to keep or maintain one's possessions; to yield nothing; esp., to suffer no loss or disadvantage in a contest. --Shak.

Own

Own\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Owned; p. pr. & vb. n. Owning.] [OE. ohnien, ahnien, AS. [=a]gnian, fr. [=a]gen own, a. See Own, a.] To hold as property; to have a legal or rightful title to; to be the proprietor or possessor of; to possess; as, to own a house.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : own

Spanish: poseer, tener, ser dueño de,

German: besitzen,

Japanese: 所有する

More Translations »

own (adj.)

O.E. agen "one's own," lit. "possessed by," from P.Gmc. *aigana- "possessed, owned" (cf. O.S. egan, O.Fris. egin, O.N. eiginn, Du. eigen, Ger. eigen "own"), from pp. of PIE *aik- "to be master of, possess," source of O.E. agan "to have" (see owe).

own (v.)

evolved in early M.E. from O.E. geagnian, from root agan "to have, to own" (see own), and in part from own (adj.) (q.v.). It became obsolete after c.1300, but was revived early 17c., in part as a back-formation of owner (1340), which continued. To own up "make full confession" is from 1853.

Main Entry: own
Function: transitive verb
: to have or hold as property; especially : to have title to <own property>

own

In addition to the idioms beginning with own, also see afraid of one's own shadow; after one's own heart; beat someone at his or her own game; blow one's own horn; call one's own; close to home; come into (one's own); dig one's own grave; do one's (own) thing; dose of one's own medicine; get (one's own) back; get one's (own) way; go one's (own) way; hold one's own; in one's (own) interest; in one's own backyard; in one's own right; in one's own world; keep one's own counsel; know one's own mind; leave to someone's own devices; mind of one's own; mind one's own business; of one's own accord; on one's (own) feet; on one's own; on one's own account; on one's own time; paddle one's own canoe; pay back in one's own coin; pay one's (own) way; pick on (someone your own size); pull one's (own) weight; sign one's own death warrant; stew in one's own juice; take into one's (own) hands; under one's own steam; write one's own ticket.

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